Tomorrow is the day! Early Friday morning, George and I will be driving one behind the other to make our way back to California. We have a lot of tough driving to do (we're shooting to drive from 7am to 8 or 9 pm both days), but boy, we're ready.

Thank you to everyone who promoted my commissions! You can take my name off of your circulation lists. I'm still keeping my prices at five dollars off for the digital commissions, but I don't absolutely need commissions right now.

They did end up holding George's check up (they'll mail it on the 10th), but with the electricity going out on the 6th and 100-106 degree weather, we couldn't really afford to wait. It was getting scary there for a little bit--when you have twenty bucks and need to drive 1500 miles...

Thanks =TimeFalcon. You'll know what I mean when I say that I snatched the dangling carrot.

After talking to Carly, I prompted George to help me start packing the cars now. Whether we had our check or not, I wanted to be in the mindset of leaving. Afterward, George started rummaging through my purses, bags, drawers, etc, and pulled out every coin he could, and we hopped into the car and went to exchange it for cash.

75$!

We came home and started brainstorming. We had already spoken about pawning my engagement ring (we had an offer for 600$), but the ring is worth so much more to me than money. There are so many stories behind it... I cried yesterday and then today knowing that one of the only ways to get home was to pawn my engagement ring.

Instead, I went through my bag of jewelry and pulled out every single gold ring I owned. I could part with them.

We went to the pawn shop and sold a gold necklace and bracelet, and eight of my gold rings. Most of them were so beautiful, five of them were gorgeous diamond rings.

You know what, though? It wasn't hard to part with them. They all signified a time in my life where I had way too much money and not enough appreciation--not enough gratitude. Total, the lot of eight rings and the gold bracelet and necklace was worth around $3,000.

We received $400.

Ladies and gentlemen, I'm coming home!

`Memnalar and ^joannastar's commissions are a wonderful cushion--thank you both for everything. <3

=TimeFalcon -- I took that damned carrot and I eated it.

Hopefully we'll only sleep once, and my Toyota Camry gets great gas mileage. George's Maxima is not so great, but I think between the two cars it sort of evens out. We estimated a cost of about $225 and $150 in gas to get us home, so that leaves a little extra for food and a night in a motel.

I can't wait. I'm excited and nervous and excited and just ready to go.


Hopefully my next journal will be from California!

Thank you for all of your support and well-wishes--it's a good feeling when I'm going to be on the road. (George and Fuzzy Ham say thanks too)



Juli

PS. Lol. I just tuned into a TV commercial and I heard "... let's go to California!" and it was a "Happy Cows come from California" commercial. xD